SMS spammers to face service suspension: Report

Any user sending one message to over 200 users in less than 15 minutes will face service suspension.


Web Desk May 03, 2012

Cellular mobile operators will now suspend services of mobile users who have been sending spam SMS messages for commercial purposes, ProPakistani has reported.

Sources at Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) confirmed the development and said that any mobile user who is sending an identical text message to over 200 users in less than 15 minutes will face suspension, the report said.

It added that the criteria of 200 messages in less than 15 minutes can also target non-commercial but heavy SMS users. Blank messages will also be considered spam, as sending blank messages to single of multiple users may lead to suspension as well.

The mobile operators claimed that they already have a mechanism to identify spam text messages and added that the suspension cannot be undone by operators unless PTA is contacted.

The suspension notification sent to spammers will read as follows:
“Dear customer your outgoing facility is being suspended due to spamming. For further query, please approach our helpline services”

With the tremendous growth in the mobile sector in Pakistan, SMS mobile marketing – generating spam commercial messages at extremely cost-effective rates – has grown extensively as well.

Last year in August, PTA warned marketers to desist sending unconsented, unwanted, fraudulent, misleading, spam and/or illegal SMS messages and calls to mobile phone consumers or face legal action.

PTA also announced the procedure of reporting spam messages/calls by sending a text message.

How to report spam/unwanted SMS/calls

If you receive any spam message or call that you did not subscribe to, or any call/SMS that you do not wish to receive again, SMS the sender’s cell number, your cell number and any other details you may want to add to ‘9000’.

Note: Charges for sending an SMS to 9000 are 10 paisas (including tax).

COMMENTS (13)

Jojo | 11 years ago | Reply

Why do we have to type in our own number? Cant the software detect the number from where it came ?

Waseem | 11 years ago | Reply

I just tried it, and guess what I received from Ufone "Invalid command blah blah blah"

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